Taiwan High Speed Rail sells foreign visitors two passes. Visitors can also buy one-way tickets at 15% off the adult fare, so a pass has to beat a discounted ticket, not the full one. On a single return trip it barely does.
Prices are in New Taiwan dollars, read on 2 October 2026 from THSR’s pass site for foreign visitors, its FAQ and its agency list, and from KKday.
The passes and the one-way ticket
| Product | Adult | Child, 6 to 11 | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Day Pass | NT$2,200 | NT$1,100 | Unlimited rides on three consecutive days |
| Flexible 2-Day Pass | NT$2,500 | NT$1,250 | Unlimited rides on any two days within seven |
| One-Way Ticket | 15% off the adult fare | 50% off | One reserved seat, one train, one date |
Children under 6 travel free if they do not take a seat. Both passes cover reserved and non-reserved standard-class seats, and reserving costs nothing extra. Neither covers business class. The one-way ticket is reserved-seat only. Seats are not promised on either: “Seat availability is not guaranteed during peak hours or holidays.”
Visitor one-way fares for adults, from THSR’s table:
| Route | Visitor one-way, adult |
|---|---|
| Taipei to Taichung | NT$595 |
| Taipei to Tainan | NT$1,145 |
| Taipei to Zuoying (Kaohsiung) | NT$1,265 |
| Taichung to Zuoying | NT$670 |
Who can buy
Only short-term foreign visitors qualify. THSR’s FAQ defines that as entry on a document allowing a single stay of under 180 days, such as a visa-exempt entry stamp or a visa. Anyone who entered on a Republic of China passport or with a resident certificate cannot use these products. You show your passport and entry document when you collect the pass and at the gate, so keep your entry record with you. Filing Taiwan’s online arrival card before you fly comes first.
When a pass pays
- Taipei to Kaohsiung and back, one adult. Two visitor one-way tickets cost NT$2,530. The Flexible 2-Day Pass at NT$2,500 saves NT$30. The 3-Day Pass at NT$2,200 saves NT$330, but only if you come back within the three consecutive days.
- Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung, Taipei over three days. Taipei to Taichung NT$595, Taichung to Zuoying NT$670 and Zuoying back to Taipei NT$1,265 come to NT$2,530 in one-way tickets, against NT$2,200 for the 3-Day Pass. That saves NT$330, more if you add a side trip.
- A day trip to Taichung. NT$1,190 return in visitor one-way tickets. No pass comes close.
A pass pays when you ride the long end of the line more than twice inside its window. For one return it is a wash at best.
Two travelling together: the two-for-one ticket
For two people the answer changes. THSR’s pass site tells visitors to “Buy One-Way Tickets on Klook/KKday now” for a two-for-one offer. Its FAQ sets the terms: two foreign visitors buying the same route together get the second ticket free, the destination must be Taichung or a station south of it, and each passport can use it once. KKday’s product page says the offer runs “From now until December 31, 2026” while coupons last, and that “Each KKday user can only use this offer once.” It applies to adult tickets only.
Take two adults going Taipei to Kaohsiung and back. The southbound pair costs NT$1,265 between them on the offer. The northbound trip ends in Taipei, so it does not qualify and costs NT$1,265 each. That is NT$3,795 for two, about NT$1,898 a head, against NT$2,200 each for 3-Day Passes. On a simple return, two people save around NT$300 each by skipping the pass.
THSR’s own site does not sell this offer. It sends you to the two agencies. On 2 October KKday’s two-for-one THSR ticket was on sale with the code shown on the page, and KKday’s own example is Taipei to Taichung at NT$298 a person. The discount is applied at checkout, so check the total before you pay. Klook runs the same promotion, and THSR lists both.
Buying the pass itself
You can buy from THSR’s pass site or from “a travel agency authorized by THSRC”. THSR’s agency list shows twelve, including Klook, KKday, ezTravel, 12Go, WAUG and MyRealTrip.
Price does not separate them. With its currency set to New Taiwan dollars, KKday charged NT$2,199 for the 3-Day Pass and NT$2,500 for the Flexible 2-Day Pass. Its one-way fares matched THSR’s table or sat NT$1 below it (NT$1,264 to Zuoying, NT$1,145 to Tainan). If you already use KKday, its THSR 3-Day and Flexible 2-Day Passes cost the same as buying direct. KKday also lists a bundle with the 3-Day Pass from NT$1,870 and a choice of add-ons such as Taipei 101 or the National Palace Museum. We did not build a full basket, so we cannot say what that comes to.
Redeeming, refunds and what is not covered
Redeem, reserve, collect. Whoever you buy from, you get an order number and redeem code valid for 90 days from payment. Pick travel dates and reserve seats on THSR’s site under Manage, or at a station counter, then collect the physical pass at any THSR counter before boarding. Travel dates can be set within 29 days of the day you redeem, and cannot be the day you paid. Pass holders go through the staffed gates.
Refunds go back to the seller. THSR: “Please apply for the refund from the original travel agency within the refund period.” For purchases on its own site, “the refund deadline is 91 days after the payment date”. THSR’s FAQ does not state a fee for those. KKday’s pass and one-way pages both say “a cancellation fee of 10% will apply”. Once the pass is in your hand, refunds stop: “Passengers who have collected the physical Pass/Ticket cannot apply for a refund.”
Delays and typhoons. A one-way ticket gets money back for long delays and suspended services. A pass does not: for delays, cancellations, typhoon warnings, illness or injury, “the Pass will not be compensated for, nor will the valid period be extended.” In typhoon season that favours one-way tickets.
Which to buy
- One return trip, travelling alone: visitor one-way tickets, or the 3-Day Pass if the return falls inside three days. The difference is small either way.
- Two of you, heading south of Taichung: the two-for-one one-way ticket for the southbound leg, then ordinary visitor tickets back.
- Three or more long rides in three days: the 3-Day Pass.
- Two busy travel days up to a week apart: the Flexible 2-Day Pass. It saves little over one-way tickets unless each day includes more than one long ride.
Japan has the same sum: a regional JR pass also has to beat the discounted visitor tickets. Before you pack food for the train, check what Taiwan’s customs allow you to bring in. The pork rule is strict.
We have an affiliate arrangement with KKday and earn a commission if you buy through our links. For the passes and ordinary one-way tickets, KKday and THSR’s own site charged the same.
KKday, on THSR's own agency list, for the two-for-one southbound ticket (affiliate link)